Printing-wheel.



PATENTED 'APRR 26, 1904.

I. J. A. JONES. PRINTING WHEEL. APPLICATION HLED mm: 2'4, 196a.

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UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

JOHN .J. atoms, or GREEN ISLAND, NEW YORK.

PRINTING-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,256, dated April 26, 1904,

Application filed June 24:, 1903. Serial No. 162,867. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. A. J ONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Green Island, county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Wheels, of which the following is a specification. i

The invention relates to'such improvements; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures. Figure 1 of the drawings isa view in perspective of my im proved printing-wheel partly broken away, the outline being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the flexible plate for closing the periphery of the Wheel partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective, on an enlarged scale, of one of the handle-springs for operating and controlling the position of the printing-blocks.

The objects and nature of the invention will appear in connection with the following description. v

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent disks, preferably formed of thin metal, which are supported in parallel planes upon the handle 3, the outer disk2 being provided with a screw 4, fitting an interiorly-threaded aperture in the'end of the handle, and the disk 1 being apertured to receive the shank of the handle and held thereon by means of the collar 5, secured by a screw 6 to the handle. The wheel is adapted to receive between the disks 2. series of printing-blocks 7, each provided with a groove 8, adapted to receive and fit a flange or rib 9, formed on the inner side of the outer disk 2, which ribs extend in radial lines and form guides for the respective printing-blocks, whereby the same are adapted'to he slid inwardly and outwardly along the respective ribs. These printing-blocks are preferably formed of wood having mounted on their outer ends rubber type 10, and the device is adapted for making an impression from said type one at a time, the printing-block hearing the type from which an impression is desired being temporarily slid outwardly along its guiding-rib 9 a sufficient distance to expose upon the periphery of the wheel its type, while normally the printing-blocks are contained wholly inside the periphery of the wheel. The printing-blocks are preferably made to taper inwardly, so that they can be closely assembled when withdrawn toward the center of the wheel. The base of the rubber type is preferably made of sponge-rubber and pro vided with ribs or tongues 11, which are secured by cement in corresponding grooves in the end of the wooden blocks 7.

. The printing-blocks can be operated to impart sliding movements thereto by means of the handles 12, connected with the respective blocks by the integral spring-plates 23, the shank 14: of said handles being adapted to occupy and travel in the respective radial slots 15 in the inner disk 1, the handles projecting exteriorly of said disk to a position easily accessible to the hand of the operator. Each of the spring-plates 13 is secured to its printingblock by a screw 16 and is provided adjacent to :the shank of the handle with shoulders 17, adapted to bear upon the inner surface of the disk 1 to frictionally retain its printing-block in its withdrawn position within the wheel, as

shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 2, and

adapted when the printing-block is projected to printing position, as shown at the left-hand end of Fig. 2, to automatically enter the notches formed on opposite sides of the slot 15 by circular grooves 18, formed in the inner surface of said disk, to positively "lock said printing-block in its printing position.

When the wheel is not in use,-the printingblocks are all withdrawn inside the periphery of the wheel, in which position they can be inclosed and protectedby means of a flexible slide-plate 20, the opposite side edges of which are adapted to enter and travel in the circular grooves 18 and 21, formed in the inner surfaces of the respective disks 1 and 2, as

shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 2. The grooves 18 and 21 have each a tangential terminal 22 extending to the outer edge of the respective disks to permit the insertion and removal of the slide-plate 20.

The type may be provided with any desired printing characters, and the wheel may be provided with'as many printing-blocks as desired.

The operation of the device is as follows: W hen it is desired to print a series of characters, the slide-plate 20 is removed, and the printing-block bearing the type'of the character desired is slid outwardly, by means of its handle 12, to printing position, in which position its type is exposed upon the periphery of the wheel, the block being locked in printing position by the shoulders 17 entering the notches 18. The wheel is then applied to impress the exposed type upon the article to be printed, after which impression said printingblock is withdrawn Within the wheel, and the printing-block bearing the type from which the next impression is desired is in like manner slid outwardly and its type impressed upon the article, the operation being repeated for each character to be printed. The type may be inked in any known manner.

By the use of the plate 20 the wheel can be wholly inclosed and the type protected from atmospheric influences and dust and from contact with external objects,whereby the device can be retained indefinitely in a condition for immediate use.

My invention makes it possible to assemble in a single wheel of small dimensions types of a great variety of characters, which when withdrawn within the wheel may be in contact with one another and so closely assembled that it would be impossible to take an impression from. a single type without interference from the neighboring types. By projecting the printing-blocks one at a time beyond the periphery of the wheel the projected type is so separated from the neighboring types that a clear impression can be taken therefrom.

If desired, the disk 1 may be provided with an additional circular groove 25, intersected by the several slots 15 at their inner ends, adapted to receive the shoulders 17 on the respective spring-plates, and thereby lock the type in their withdrawn position within the wheel.

The characters borne by the printing-blocks may be indicated upon the outer surface of the upper disk 1 by corresponding characters adjacent to the respective handles 5, whereby the printing-blocks are operated, as shown by the characters P Q R S in Fig. 1.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In aprinting-wheel, the combination with a handle; and a pair of disks mounted upon the handle in parallel planes; one of said disks being provided with a series of slots and with notches or grooves in its inner surface on opposite sides of the respective slots; of a series of printing-blocks interposed between said disks severally capable of reciprocating slide movements transversely of the periphery of the wheel; a spring-plate connected with each of said blocks having shoulders adapted to enter certain of said notches to lock the block in printing position; and ahandle projecting outwardly through one of said slots whereby reciprocating slide movements can be imparted to the block.

2. In a printing-wheel, the combination with a handle; and a pair of disks mounted upon the handle in parallel planes; one of said disks having ribs formed on its inner side, and the other disk being provided with a series of slots in line with said ribs respectively, and with notches or grooves in its inner surface on opposite sides of the respective slots; of a series of printing-blocks interposed between said disks each provided with a groove adapted to receive one of said ribs; a spring-plate secured to each of said blocks having shoulders adapted to enter certain of said notches to lock the block in position; and a handle projecting exteriorly from said spring-plate through the slot in line with said rib whereby.

the spring-plate can be operated and reciprocating slide movements can be imparted to the block, substantially as described.

3. In aprinting-wheel, the combination with a handle; and a pair of disks mounted upon the handle in parallel planes said disks being provided in their inner surfaces with oppositelylocated circular grooves having tangential terminal portions extending to the edges of the respective disks; of a series of printing-blocks within the wheel, and a flexible slide-plate adapted to enter said grooves through said tangential terminals and to follow and occupy said grooves to close the periphery of the wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of June, 1903.

J. J. A. JONES. Witnesses:

FRANK G. CURTIS, JENNIE M. JONES. 

